5 Time Management Hacks For Busy Moms

Let’s be honest.. juggling a few children’s extra murals, lunches, homework times and chores can be chaotic, at best. Then there is still housework to do, errands to run and shopping to be done. How does one keep up with all these activities we have to do?!

Here are 5 time management hacks every juggling mom will find useful:

This article contains affiliate links which means at no additional cost to you, I could receive a commission for my recommendations. More info.

5 TIME MANAGEMENT HACKS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

1. PERSONALIZED CHORE CHARTS FOR EVERY CHILD

It’s impossible, as a mom, to do every person’s chores, in between driving children to and from school, extra murals, etc. As best as possible, get each child independent in certain areas – create an age appropriate chore chart for each child, and train them (patiently, it may take a few practice rounds to get the habit in place) to manage their own chores, in a set time frame. When each child is managing his/her own chores around the house, productivity and tidiness are sure to follow! (take a look at this customizable chore chart)

2. MOM CHORE CHART

If you find yourself running from one disaster to the next, playing catch up all day, then a chore chart will help you strategically get through the must-do’s each day, like laundry, shopping and fetching kids from school. If you fit each activity and chore into a set time slot, and stick to it, you’ll soon get a good idea of how long each activity takes, and can tweak your chore chart for maximum productivity each day.

3. GROUPING ACTIVITIES TOGETHER

Are you driving all around town taking 3, 4 or 5 kids to different extra murals and activities? While extra murals are important for children, maybe it would work out better if some of your children did the same extra murals, in the same term, in the same location or area, if possible. Alternatively, you can limit each child’s extra murals activities to one every second term, and alternate which children get to be involved in one. That halves the load while still ensuring your kids get to be involved in activities. It also gives you more time with the children not involved in activities.

4. AVOID TIME WASTERS DURING THE DAY

Try to keep your daytime hours free of time wasters – the obvious ones are time online on social media – twenty minutes on Facebook could be better used packing the dishwasher before you head out of the house. Laundry can be done 30 minutes before the kids get up in the morning. Dinner can be cooked in bulk every third day. Charting which activities or chores are time-fillers in precious daytime hours, may help you keep the important things in mind, and come up with creative ways to slot the time wasters in during non important hours on the outskirts of the day. You can sit on Facebook in the bath once all the kids are in bed!

5. SET UP A PREDICTABLE STRUCTURE EVERYONE CAN FOLLOW

Children love boundaries, and thrive with them in place; they like knowing what to expect, and are surprisingly good at getting into great habits with practice. Once you have written up your own chore chart, and have one for each child, and have slotted your non-crucial activities into the morning or evening, you’ll find you can be strategic with your daytime hours and fit the important activities into them. Having a chart that everyone can see and follow, sets expectation for everyone and helps each family member keep to their ‘end of the deal’.

Juggling everything each day and week is not easy, which is why ‘routine is king!’
Take twenty minutes today and write up a basic chore chart for yourself and for your children, and then write up a family schedule. See where you can shuffle extra murals and other errands around, so that your time is used most efficiently!